Attacks on media, culture: Impunity at the core of mob violence

Mob attacks on leading media outlets and cultural centres in the country are deeply alarming and must be promptly and effectively investigated, with perpetrators brought to justice without delay, UN expert Irene Khan said yesterday.

In a statement, the UN special rapporteur on freedom of expression and opinion said the attacks reflected the interim government's failure to protect media and artistic freedom, warning of serious consequences for the country's democratic progress.

The unrest followed the killing of Sharif Osman Hadi, a prominent youth leader of the July 2024 uprising. The 32-year-old was shot by masked gunmen in Dhaka on December 12 and died last Thursday at a hospital in Singapore.

After news of his death spread, protests erupted demanding justice. Several buildings -- including those housing Prothom Alo and The Daily Star -- were vandalised, looted and set on fire. New Age editor Nurul Kabir was harassed, while cultural organisations such as Chhayanat and Udichi were also attacked.

"I strongly condemn the targeted killing of an inspiring leader as well as the orchestrated mob violence against independent journalists and artists which followed the announcement of his death," Irene Khan said.

"The weaponisation of public anger against journalists and artists is dangerous at any time, and especially now as the country prepares for elections. It could have a chilling effect on media freedom, minority voices and dissenting views with serious consequences for democracy," she said.

She noted that freedom of expression, particularly media freedom, has come under significant pressure over the past year from both state and non-state actors, online and offline.

"The mob attacks did not emerge in a vacuum but are the consequences of the failure of the interim government to address impunity and uphold media and artistic freedom," the UN expert said.

Since August 5, 2024, hundreds of journalists have been arrested on "politically motivated, dubious charges of murder, terrorism and other serious crimes", with many arbitrarily detained for prolonged periods, the statement said, adding that the interim government has largely continued previous practices, normalising attacks and threats without consequences.

"When hate speech and smear campaigns endanger the safety and reputation of media outlets, editors, journalists, artists and civil society leaders, and no corrective action is taken by the government or social media platforms, then it is only a matter of time before the words translate into violence," Irene Khan said.

"I call on the government to investigate the killing of Hadi and the attacks on media outlets promptly, impartially, transparently and hold perpetrators to account with full due process," she said.

She also urged the government to rapidly put in place effective protection and prevention measures ahead of the elections.

"If the interim government is to live up to its promise to deliver safe and fair elections, it must uphold the rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly and ensure the that journalists, human rights defenders, civil society leaders, political candidates, women and minorities are able to exercise their fundamental rights without fear of reprisals," said the UN expert.

Meanwhile, the Committee to Protect Journalists yesterday joined six civil society organisations in calling for swift, independent, and transparent investigations into violent attacks on the news outlets, warning of escalating threats to freedom of expression and the press ahead of the 2026 national election.

In a statement, the organisations expressed grave concern over reports that journalists and staff were trapped inside burning newsrooms and that both newspapers were forced to temporarily suspend print and online publication, underscoring the severity of threats facing news media.

It also noted "a documented pattern of attacks on freedom of thought and expression through abuse of the legal system, and intimidation and attacks of bauls, journalists, media workers, and artists throughout this year".

"We strongly condemn the violent attacks on December 18, 2025 on the offices of Prothom Alo and The Daily Star, two of South Asia's oldest and most reputed media institutions, and the vandalism of Chhayanaut, one of Bangladesh's most respected cultural and educational institutions… We are also deeply alarmed at the credible reports of public beating to death and burning of Dipu Chandra Das in Mymensingh's Bhaluka upazila on the same night," read the statement.

These developments point to a dangerous convergence of online and offline violence, coupled with long-standing patterns of coordinated harassment and state-sanctioned surveillance that have fostered a culture of impunity, it added.

The statement urges Bangladesh's interim government to ensure immediate protection for journalists and cultural institutions, hold perpetrators accountable, and uphold Bangladesh's constitutional and international human rights obligations.